This is a standard Eickhorn product carried by all naval personnel from Petty Officer up and loosely based on old Imperial and Weimar patterns. They typically appear in the commissioning photos of U-boat crews where all the officers and senior NCOs can be seen proudly wearing their dirks.

The porte epee is a rather ragged example of a late war variety in rayon, an artificial silk product made from wood pulp. The scabbard has lost all its gilt, but is remarkably undented. Most of the gilt finish is on the crossguard and there are trace elements on the pommel. The blade is pretty clean, but doesn't have that sharp hard shine of the original factory finish. The field of the etching still retains most of its grey background. The wiring on the grip is original and there is no perishing of the plastic wrap to the hilt.

If you want to comment on this item—re quality, age, etc—please email me.